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GEOL 106/3.0 Environmental Geology and Natural Hazards

This course is an introduction to natural and man-made environmental phenomena which are regarded as hazards and catastrophes on a regional or larger scale. Understanding geological processes which underpin natural hazards will form the basis of this course. Man-made changes to the environment, for example fracking, which cause their own hazards and sometimes amplify natural hazards, will be examined. Hazards due to earthquakes, volcanoes, asteroids, tsunamis, landslides, subsidence, flooding, sea-level rise, fires, aridity, heating and cooling episodes, soil erosion, salinization, and extraction of mineral and hydrocarbon resources will be discussed. By understanding the geological processes that trigger natural hazards, and man-made interference in the natural environment, the topics of climate change can be better understood. This can enable better decision-making for mitigation, and for managing natural resources.